HawaiiO

This is about what to do in Singapore not a comparison to other parts of the world.
If u want to talk about North America, Dubai or whatever, go to the other forums.

christep

Thank you for your opinion. I beg to differ. Comparisons between Singpaore and other places are perfectly valid in this thread in my opinion.

uk1

Well, you've said "in this thread" and it's a free world ...... but the intention of the thread was merely to encourage people that had previously thought of Singapore as a place to simply pass through as quickly as possible and not linger might like to consider spending longer there. And I intended to simply say I had found that familiarity breeds greater appreciation.

In that context I'm not really clear about how comparing Singapore to Dubai or Hong Kong etc etc is releavant to that ..... but that of course is a part of the free rangng FT spirit .......

ung1

True, though I suppose in New York you at least have the option of living in the suburbs.

I merely brought up Dubai because (had you read some of the previous posts), people were comparing the weather in Singapore and Dubai, and as someone who has lived in both cities year round, I thought I'd offer a qualified opinion. And since you're so smart, please explain to me how to establish whether a city is 'expensive' without comparing it to other cities.

uk1 I do agree that people who only spend a night or two here have a very skewed, or perhaps incomplete notion of what Singapore is, and by all means they should spend more time here and get to know the place better. I think, however, that some of the posters felt that some of the 'things to do' that were proposed weren't all they were being cut out to be. After reading this thread, I thought I'd go check out the botanic gardens. They were nice, and it was great to see so many people there, and not see any buildings, but the heat and humidity sort of ruined the experience for me. Some things here are just marketing spiel (such as Sentosa beach). It's great that Singapore works for you, and every traveler should experience it for him/ herself and reach his/ her own conclusions.

ek&sq

I don't see what all the fuss is about. Sure, Singapore's hot, but your never too far away from being in an air conditioned space. Heck, even the outdoor areas of the new Universal Studios is kept at about 20 degrees! People who say it has no countryside obviously haven't ventured beyond the confines of Orchard road. Its like wishing Manhattan had a countryside. Drive 30 minutes north, and you'll be in the wide open spaces of Malaysia. Yes, Singapore is an expensive place to live, but its not as bad as Europe and some parts of North America (NYC, for example), Japan and a few others. If you want to live in the center of any city, its not going to be cheap You can get really nice houses out near the east coast for very reasonable prices. Public transport's as good as it can get, safety likewise. I have an 8 year old sister and we're never afraid to send her to meet her friends in a cab alone. As people have said, you need to explore the place and give it a chance. Not think of excuses to bring it down. Truth be told, I think some people are just jealous they're countries can't give them the convenience and comfort Singapore does.

christep

I disagree - Hong Kong's is way more extensive and better (buses / minibuses particularly).

unitedinsg

but then, the cabs are way cheaper in Singapore ..

christep

No - that's simply not true - taxis in Hong Kong and Singapore are similarly priced during the day, and cheaper in Hong Kong during peak hours and at night (when Singapore has high surcharges).

(Though comparison isn't straightforward because they are structured differently - for example Singapore gets more expensive for rides over 10km, whereas HK gets cheaper over 9km)

ek&sq

The same can be said with Singapore busses. It covers Singapore very well considering its size, and I'd know because I've lived here almost 5 years now and use the bus/MRT to almost everywhere I go. So please don't make assumptions or bold statements sitting in another country when there are people with up to date, with first hand experience to present. I wouldn't argue about transportation in Hong Kong because I've only been there a couple of times, so you'd know best

PS: I can see from your links HK charges for bags, SG doesn't. These little things add up.

ung1

I happen to be sitting in Singapore too. Honestly, if you think this is as good as public transport gets, you have very low expectations. The trains are good, when they aren't crowded, but the buses are a pain. Nowhere is perfect of course. Manhattan has a 24x7 subway with express trains, trains branching out in the suburbs and a lot of smart ideas. The trains/ stations aren't that great, but IMO its a smarter system.

uk1

But ..... useful insights as they are ....this is not the criteria that should be one of those used to decided where in the world we should spend a bit more time....................

I'd hate not to have spent all the time I have done in Singapore because I had been swayed by someone who pointed out that during certain hours the taxis were cheaper in Hong Kong ....

jpatokal

Oh, they're still out there alright, just take the boat from Changi Village to Pulau Ubin. Which, incidentally, is still a good antidote to those who think Singapore is all soulless glass, steel and shopping malls

And much ink has been spilled about the weather, but it's also a matter of personal preference. Having spent about a decade in a country where the mercury can hit -35 C in winter, I loved never having to wear more than a T-shirt. During the Singaporean "winter" (~28 C on a chilly day!), I could often spend several months without once turning on the aircon, and even a fan was sometimes too much... but yeah, every now and then I'd finding myself waiting for a bus for 20 min on cloudless summer afternoon and thinking that some vertical sleet sounds pretty good right about now.

kitsura

Once you get used to the heat even a 16 degrees C winter is too cold for you.

uk1

I will never get over the thrill of getting out of a taxi and having your glasses steam up.

unitedinsg

Plus all the tunnel charges and the traffic jams ... hahaha, I am from Singapore so I have to state up front that I am biased. To me Singapore's transportation system and prices are affordable and efficient